Clamp



Dec. 15, 1953 CLAMP Filed June 5, 1952 John M. Mikoski J. M. MIKOSKI 2,662, 61

INVENTOR BY Q;%./JM

ATTORNEY Patented ec. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention is an improved clamp and one object of t is invention lies in the provision of a. clamp which is quickly and easily applied with the jaws in selective spaced relation.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of spaced clamps adapted to secure the bottom rail of a Venetian blind in spaced parallel relation to the sill or" a window while the tapes are drying after laundering, for the purpose or" eliminating shrinkage.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision or" a clamp having pads for precluding marring of the elements clamped thereby.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a clamp having cooperating teeth for adjustably securing the jaws at selective spaced positions.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a clamp having novel means for re leasably holding the teeth in cooperating relationship.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a clamp which is very inexpensive to manufacture of a. minimum number of parts which are not liable to get out of working condition.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to the reader during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts,

Figure l is an elevational View of a Window having a Venetian blind and showing the invention in use,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross section of a portion of the window, blind and my improved clamp,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the preferred form of my invention,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation of a modified part of the improved clamp, and,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a further modified clamp.

Referring now more particularly to the drawleg 14 and one leg difiers from the other.

Because of the multiplicity of the slats and their close proximity to each other, it is very diificult to clean the blinds. Therefore, many people remove the blinds and place them in the bath tub or a similar container where they can wash them with a considerable amount of water and soap or detergent, and then after a superficial drying, to eliminate dripping water, the blinds are re-hung and left to dry.

It has been found that as the tapes dry, they shrink and thus cause the blind to become too short for the Window and partially inefiective as a blind as well as unsightly.

In an effort to overcome this, I have seen women drive nails in the window casings or hang weights from the rail R to prevent shrinkage. These methods obviously are objectionable because they mar the woodwork and walls and permit the tapes to dry at uneven lengths, tending to render the blind unsightly by reason of its hanging crooked.

The present invention therefore, was developed and has been found very effective, inexpensive and useful for this purpose. It is not my intention, however, to limit the scope of my invention unnecessarily and therefore desire to broadly claim the invention as limited only by the appended claim in view of the prior art.

The improved clamp It] has a pair of cooperating spaced parallel jaws H which are adapted to clamp the work therebetween. Felt facings [2 are secured to the inner jaw faces I3 to preclude marring the finish of the work clamped.

Each jaw is provided at its rear end with a The depending leg of the upper jaw II has a body l5 formed straight throughout its length and is secured to the jaw by means of a short radius bend l6 disposing the leg at right angle to the jaw H. A major portion of the inside face of the body l 5 is formed with upwardly disposed teeth l6 and these may be formed in any number of ways such as by milling as shown in Figures 2 and 3 or by means of an added stamped plate I"! riveted at I8 to the leg as shown in Figure 4.

The second leg I4 has a body IS and extends upwardly from its companion jaw II and is secured thereto by a relatively larger radius bend 20 which disposes the body slightly less than from the jaw The angle is not critical, however, and may be at right angle plus or minus if desired.

A lip 2| is formed on the free end of the body 19 and aligned apertures 22 and 23 are formed in the radius or bent portions of the legs 44. It

will be seen that the lower jaw and the body I9 are of greater width than the body I5 and therefore sufiicient material is present to permit the apertures 22 and 23 to be large enough to receive the body I5 extending downwardly therethrough. Teeth 24 are formed on the body I9 of second leg I4 and communicate with apertures 22 and 23 and may thus mesh with teeth I6 of first le I4. It is easily seen that the jaws may thus be secured in selective spaced relation by meshing the teeth of one leg with those of the other.

In the modified form of Fig. 5, the second leg 38 is also straight throughout its length and has a series of transverse teeth 3| adapted to mesh with the teeth 32 of the first leg which has a longitudinally extending central slot 33 which is aligned with an internally threaded aperture 34 in leg 39 and a headed bolt 35 releasably secures the teeth in selective meshing engagement.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

An adjustable Venetian blind clamp comprising cooperating spaced parallel jaw members for releasably securing the lower rail of a Venetian blind to the sill of the window frame from which the blind is hung; each said jaw being provided with padded faces disposed to contact the sill and rail; juxtaposed legs carried by the jaws at one end and disposed substantially at right angles thereto; one said leg being substantially longer than the other and having a plurality of teeth disposed toward its jaw and on its inner side face; the other said leg being of a greater width than the first described leg; a lip carried by the free end of said second leg and extending substantially in parallel relation to its jaw; said second leg having upper and lower apertures at its ends adjacent the lip and jaw respectively; a tooth in the lower aperture extending transversely at the supported end of its respective jaw; and said first leg extending downwardly through said upper and lower apertures with its teeth disposed to cooperate with said tooth, whereby spreading pressure on said jaws urges the teeth into locking engagement with said tooth.

JOHN M. MIKOSKI.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 188,298 Jones Mar. 13, 1877 347,079 Williams Aug. 10, 1886 368,647 Bunker Aug. 23, 1887 502,393 Beaumont Aug. 1, 1893 525,029 Reilly Aug. 28, 1894 827,260 Nickles July 31, 1906 971,438 Gillitt Sept. 27, 1910 1,502,215 Sohst Juy 22, 1924 1,639,870 Valsvig Aug. 23, 1927 1,678,544 Whitaker July 24, 1928 1,684,443 Harris Sept. 18, 1928 1,698,077 Travis Jan. 8, 1929 1,782,438 Oudin Nov. 25, 1930 1,894,730 Burns Jan. 17, 1933 

